EXERCISE

Bicycle
Assignment: Photograph a bicycle
from various angles.
Goal: Explore the idea that there is
more than one way to look at any object. Once you start really looking, the
possibilities are endless.
Tips: Get in close and shoot parts of
the bicycle: pedals, spokes, handlebars, seat, light, kickstand, gears, etc.
Get even closer and shoot details of the
parts: a portion of the gears, the handgrip of the handlebars, the joint of the
kickstand.
Then pull back a bit and look for
patterns: the various lines and circles
and curves and angles of the frame,
wheels and mechanism of the bicycle.
Pull further back and shoot the entire
bicycle in an interesting environment.
Alternatively, shoot it in a very plain
environment, so the shapes of the bicycle stand out clearly.
Approach the bicycle from the
front, back, top and either side. Get
down under it and shoot upwards. Lay
it down and shoot it on the ground.
Get in close again. Step back. Move
around. Try to find as many ways as
you can to look at this one object.
(Note: You don't have to restrict
yourself to one bicycle. Look for variations in different ones. Find or place
several bikes together and shoot them
as a group. Do, however, get at least
a half-dozen shots of one bicycle, to
see how many variations you can find
in a single object.)

154 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph by Charles Bell.

Student photograph by Charles Stuart

Kennedy III.
Student photograph by Bruce Wiles.

Things

155

EXERCISE

Hubcaps &
Taillights
Assignment: Photograph automobile hubcaps and taillights (headlights are acceptable as well).
Goal: Concentrate on cropping in
on your subject. Explore various
ways of composing circular and other
shapes within the rectangular frame
of a photograph.
Tips: Choose y o u r subject s
carefully; the more intricate the better. For example, a very plain hubcap will generally be less interesting than one with spokes or other
decoration.
Shoot pieces, details. It's a good
idea, for instance, not to get the
whole hubcap into the frame. Crop
in on an interesting part of it. Look
for patterns. In this exercise, patterns
are more important than the object
being photographed.
Notice how light interacts with
chrome and glass. Pay particular attention to precise focusing. Experiment with different angles for interesting effects. Move around.

Student photograph by Stephen Griggs.

Student photograph by Marciano Pitargue, Jr.

156 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph by David

Kleinfelt.

Student photograph by Han June Bae.

Things 157

EXERCISE

Eggs
Assignment: Arrange several eggs on
a white background and photograph
them.
Goal: Explore the possibilities of a
repeated simple shape, of light and
shadow, of a white subject on a white
background, and of a "set-up"
shot all at once. Try to produce a
photograph in which the eggs are arranged in a pleasing composition
which is enhanced by their shadows.
Tips: Try using a large (i.e.
32" x 40") piece of white mat
board, so you can experiment freely
with composition and viewing angle.
Shoot in bright sunlight and rely on
the point of departure camera setting
(f/16 at 1/125 of a second). This is
another case in which your light
meter will only be confusing.
Don't settle for the first shot that
comes to mind explore! Try various
arrangements and various angles
until you get something that's
exciting.

Student photograph by Jun Hwang.

158 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph
Blaskowsky.

by

Cliff

Student photograph by William Roche.

Things 159

EXERCISE

Object &
Its Shadow
Assignment: Photograph an object
(or part of it) along with its shadow.
Goal: Explore how an object's
shadow can add visual interest to a
photograph.
In addition, learn to place both an
object (or part of an object) and its
shadow effectively into a rectangular
frame.
Tips: You'll get the best results
early or late in the day (from dawn
to mid-morning or mid-afternoon till
sunset), when shadows will be nice
and long. Be sure your subject is wellplaced to cast an interesting shadow.
It's best if the shadow is cast on a
fairly simple surface a complicated
surface tends to reduce a shadow's
impact.
Pay particular attention to negative
space. Try to achieve visual tension
between the object and the shadow.
This can be done by placing the object over to one side of the frame and
letting the shadow stretch to the far
side (a corner to corner stretch can be
especially effective).

Student photograph by Charles Stuart Kennedy HI.

160 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph
Mattielli.

by Lynne

Student photograph by Evelyn Wight.

Things

161

EXERCISE

Bottles &
Glasses
Assignment: Photograph an arrangement of bottles and/or glasses
on a white background. (32 x 40"
white mat board is recommended).
Photograph the arrangement from
various angles to explore the compositional possibilities in it.
Goal: Achieve the best possible
white, gray and black tones, using the
correct aperture and shutter speed
combination (f/16 at 125 in bright
sunlight).
Produce an interesting composition that makes good use of these
tones.
Student photograph by Jeff Frye.
Tips: Don't rely on your light
meter. Stick to the "point of departure" setting and you will get the correct effect. The background should
be a true white, but with texture visible. Black lines (where glass is thick
or is touching something) should be
clear and dark enough to contrast
strongly with the white. Gray tones
should be varied and delicate, not
muddy.
Notice how the shapes of the bottles or glasses interact with each
other, and how their shadows interact
as well.
Do not let the edge of the white surface show in the frame! A telephoto
or, better still, a zoom lens is helpful
for an assignment like this. If you
have one, use it. If you don't, just get
in close.
Student photograph by Bill Backus.

162 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph by Lynne

Mattielli,

,Student photograph
Blaskowsky.

by

Cliff

Things 163

EXERCISE

Water
Assignment: Photograph waterany kind of water, from a puddle to
an ocean.
Goal: Capture some of water's different qualities: calm and still, rippling, splashing, falling, cascading,
moody, etc.
Tips: Watch for interesting reflections on calm water; for water interacting with other objects (people,
animals, rocks); for how water affects and is affected by its environment; for water as an environment;
for drops of water on leaves, glass,
metal, etc. Try looking into the water
for fish, pebbles, discarded bottles or
whatever else you might find.
Photograph a landscape or a city
street through a wet window in a
home, apartment or car. Keep an eye
out for floating leaves, sticks or
boats, anything half in and half out
of the water. Look for things growing in water: lilies, grass, algae.
You may want to photograph an
object and its reflection, or just the
reflection. Try shooting a calm reflection first, and then tossing in a pebble to see what effect that has.
Finally, you might catch people
playing in water a t a fire hydrant,
in a swimming pool, along a river or
at the ocean.
Student photograph by Greg Garre.

164 The Photographic Eye

Student photograph by A! Webb.

EXERCISE

Old Things
Assignment: Photograph a variety
of old objects, things that are worn
from age or use houses, tools, toys,
furniture, etc.
Goal: Show how the age of an object influences its character.
Tips: People in our society tend to
think that a thing has to be new and
glossy to be good. Few people appreciate things that have earned their
character through age and lots of use.
That's what this exercise is about.
Look for peeled paint, rust,
broken glass, things that have been
abandoned, used up, worn out. They
have a statement of their own, a
special mood. That mood may be sad
("This thing is all worn out"), or
happy ("This thing has been useful
for years").
Try to capture t h e object's
character. Notice how light and texture may help to portray that
character.
Possible subjects include old
houses, cars, tools, bridges, train
tracks, machinery, abandoned buildings, an old can, discarded toys, a
chipped plate, teacup, fork.
(Note: If you find something indoors that you want to photograph
outdoors, be very careful that it
doesn't look set up. Adjust the arrangement until it looks natural.)

Student photograph by Mark Mealey.

Student photograph by Thomas A. Perez.

Things 165

Student photograph by Richard Greenstone.

166 The Photographic Eye